Sayed Mahmoud Al-Mosawi wrote the introduction to the book “Islamic Visions Inspired by Reflection” by the engineer and writer Gharibi Murad ʿAbd al-Malik, “Algeria.” In his introduction to the book, Sayed Al-Mosawi pointed out the necessity of cultural criticism and of harmonizing criticism as a process of monitoring with moral monitoring, so that criticism does not depart from its mission.
The book “Islamic Visions Inspired by Reflection” is originally a collection of articles written successively; they are the product of continuous interactions with the new developments of our Islamic reality and in connection with the eternal Islamic commemorations that are living in the conscience of Muslims, in order to raise Islamic awareness from its deep slumber. It is also a humble call to reflect with sincerity, wisdom and faith in order to earn, deservedly, the badge of being mission-bearing.
First edition 2008 CE – 1429 AH
Publisher: Dar al-Irshad – Lebanon
Waziri size / 176 pages
The text of the introduction, by the pen of Sayed Mahmoud Al-Mosawi:
In the Name of Allah, the All-beneficent, the All-merciful
And blessings be upon the noblest of creation, our master Muhammad (s), and upon his good and pure family (a).
Among the five functions of management, after planning, organizing, staffing and directing, comes the last task, which is (control), concerned with monitoring the performance of the work and examining the soundness of its course, in order to know the soundness of its direction toward the desired goals and the specified ends.
In the science of ethics, the function of (self-reckoning) comes after purifying the self, disciplining it and training it in righteous deeds; self-reckoning performs the function of reviewing the course of the self within the righteous course it has charted for itself. In view of the importance of taking account of the self, religion has placed it in a state of constant circulation, present with the human being on every day of the days of his life. From Imam Musa ibn Jaʿfar (a): (He is not of us who does not take account of himself every day; if he has done good, he seeks an increase, and if he has done evil, he seeks Allah's forgiveness for it and repents to Him). Wasaʾil al-Shiʿa vol. 11, p. 377
Administrative control and moral self-reckoning play a principal and important role in pushing the wheel so that it moves from its theoretical course to the applied, from the negative applied to the positive applied, and from the good positive to the better positive; and thus the wheel of work is pushed to reach the goals and aims sought from the work plan. Without them, the work deteriorates and heads toward decline.
In culture, criticism came to express this position and this task, so that the worker may have a critical sense in his cultural activity and in the fields of his accomplishment that rely on knowledge. However, among some, criticism began to head in directions contrary to its purpose and its aim of correcting the course, developing performance, growing ambition and pushing the wheel forward; it became criticism for the sake of criticism, which yields a destructive result ..
The sound way for criticism to perform its tasks in the most perfect manner is for the critic to have a responsible concern and sincerity in desiring progress. It is also necessary that the critic of reality be immersed in various work projects, such as being the owner of a project or the owner of lofty aims.
We draw this insight from the approach of the Ahl al-Bayt (a), in not separating between the moral and the cultural, or the social and others. Ethics is the approach of culture and the approach of society and politics, and it must harmonize with all those directions. Therefore we can reflect the principle of (self-reckoning) onto the course of criticism, and an important insight forms for us, namely that self-reckoning comes only to one who is working, and the aim of reckoning is to reach righteousness and profit; and such is the ideal image of the critical act..
Here is the Commander of the Faithful (a) giving us a text in which we see the harmony of ethics with culture, and indeed their connection, in terms of self-reckoning, taking heed and insight.. He (a) said: (Whoever takes account of himself profits, and whoever is heedless of it loses; whoever fears is safe; whoever takes heed sees; whoever sees understands; and whoever understands knows). Wasaʾil al-Shiʿa vol. 11, p. 378
In this context, I have read the book of the sincere brother and researcher Gharibi Murad, may Allah preserve him, entitled (Inspired by Reflection), and I found it a lively observer of reality with a responsible eye that aspires to development, asking about the places of shortcoming, so that they may be filled with good deeds, in accordance with the lofty aims of the true Islamic religion.
I wish him lasting success and rightness.
Mahmoud Al-Mosawi
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